


The Perfect Town

by paulinkaaxx, SailorHeichou



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animal Crossing, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Crossing - Freeform, First Meetings, Fluff and Humor, Law being an awkward dumb, Luffy being cute as shit, M/M, This is mainly just fluff and dumb stuff, but when is he not an awkward dumb, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-08 13:34:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 13,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4307034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paulinkaaxx/pseuds/paulinkaaxx, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorHeichou/pseuds/SailorHeichou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luffy and Law meet on Animal Crossing and it leads to the beginnings of a very interesting relationship. </p><p>Law just wanted to relieve a little stress from all his classes by playing a little Animal Crossing and making his town even more perfect than it already was. But, just what the hell is this "Lucy" kid doing in his town stealing all his perfect fruits and flowers!?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "Lucy"?

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly just indulgent fluff because I came up with this idea randomly and it grew into a monstrosity thanks to my Waifu, Paula, and her beautiful brain. 
> 
> Just sit back and enjoy the fluff and dumb husbands! 
> 
> Chapters will probably be short and sweet but updated might be frequent!

His day had started out just like any other day. Or at least Law thought it had. 

He woke up way too early for class, as usual. (Fuck his Insomnia) Played Animal Crossing for a couple of hours in the dark of his shared dorm room while his roommate, Penguin, slept peacefully. Ate a bland breakfast of dry toast and black coffee after a scalding hot shower, and then leisurely walked to class, arriving fifteen minutes early. As usual. 

Now, Law wouldn't say he's a man hell-bent on keeping a certain routine but he had to admit, having a schedule of some sort helped him get through his hectic college life as a med-student. That was where Animal Crossing came in. Laugh all you want, Law- a twenty-one-year-old man-playing Animal Crossing might seem funny to most but the the truth was it wasn't just a game for ages 7+ and up. As the rating on the back of the cartridge box had read, it was for Everyone. 

Something about being in control of nearly every aspect of your town, down to the placement of flowers and fruit trees, just brought a certain sense of stability to Law's ever busy life. He prided himself on having a perfect Town, perfect in almost every way. His villagers were happy enough, his Town was wealthy and beautiful enough. He could do without the annoying Flamingo who just moved into his Town, but you can't have everything go your way. (No matter how much he wanted to _really_ strangle that fucking Flamingo.)

Which brings us to the topic of why today, a regular old Tuesday, was somehow different compared to Law's other Tuesdays. No, on _this_ particular Tuesday, Law met a very interesting character named, 'Lucy'. Little did he know just how important 'Lucy' would become in his chaotic life of school work and exams and midnight coffee cravings.

\- ♥ -

"I'm telling you, Penguin. He just came in and started wrecking all my goddamn flower beds and stealing all my perfect fruits." Law griped.

His roommate Penguin laughed loudly and obnoxiously and Law scowled at him from his position on his cramped twin bed. (Not the most ideal sized bed to sleep in when you're nearly 6'4" but Law would just have to deal with it.)

"You do realized you're making a _huge_ deal out of a video game about being the mayor of a virtual town with virtual animals." Penguin pointed out once his laughter had subsided. Law only continued to scowl, "Come on, get over it. It's not like they killed your dog or something." 

Law frowned deeply, almost to the point of a pout. Almost. 

"Don't joke about shit like that," he mumbled. Glancing over at the framed picture of his fluffy white Alaskan Malamute Bepo, Law sucked his teeth loudly. "Why do I even bother talking to you?" 

"Because you have no friends and I am unfortunately the one and only one on this entire campus who will put up with your shit." Law watched as a giant shit-eating-grin grew on his roommates face. "Well, I guess Shachi counts as a friend too but it's obviously only one-sided. Our friendship is mutual." 

"That's what you think," Law murmured quietly to himself with a smirk. 

Penguin immediately noticed the condescending expression slowly growing on Law's face, and a pillow was soon being thrown right at him. 

"You know, that attitude is exactly why you don't have any other friends besides me and Shachi," he pointed out with a serious expression. "If you'd just stop being such a conceited asshole, you'd probably have more people wanting to hang out with you. Then you wouldn't have to spend all your free time playing that lame Animal Crossing game."

"Since when are you my life coach?" Law sat up from his casual position on the bed, his long legs folding underneath him as he reached for his DS that was sitting on it's charging dock. The little gashapon charms hung heavily on either side of his DS, a gift from his little sister Lamie when he left for College again after Summer Break. "Besides, it's not because I'm a 'conceited asshole', people are just intimidated by me." 

"Gee, I wonder why," Penguin snorted with a roll of his eyes. "What with all your piercings and tattoos, not to mention you rarely ever smile." 

"That's--" 

"A smirk doesn't count, dude." 

"Who asked you, anyway?" 

"You did," Penguin cheekily responded with a smirk of his own. Law simply rolled his eyes, "But seriously, I guess I can understand why other people who don't know you would be scared of you. You're tall as shit, don't exactly have the most approachable face and you're rude as fuck." 

"Thanks, I try." Law replied sarcastically.

"See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! If it had been anyone other than me, they wouldn't have gotten your sense of sarcastic humor!" 

"But because it is you, you think you do get my sarcastic humor?" 

Penguin barked out a laugh, "Well, yeah! I've only known you since High School. I've got years of experience being around you so I know that this is just how you are but other people don't see it that way. But we're getting off topic, finish what you were telling me about this 'Lucy' kid." 

Law only heaved a heavy sigh, "He's online now and wants to come to my town." 

"He?" Penguin questioned with a tilt of his head and a cock of his brow. "How do you know it's a--"

"He told me himself. Plus, it's not very hard to tell." Law passed his DS over to his roommate, leaving the chat log between 'Lucy' and himself open. Penguin quickly scrolled through the chat log and slowly a grin grew on his face before he was outright laughing to the point of tears. 

"This kid is great!" he wheezed between laughs. Law forced a smile down, as he was very well aware of how odd 'Lucy' came off to be. "You should talk to him some more. Get to know him. By the looks of it, he really wants to be friends with you." 

"I am not going to start some weird internet friendship with some random kid I met on Animal Crossing. I don't even know how old he is. For all I know, he's ten. He sounds like he's ten whenever I talk to him." 

"How did you even meet him?"

"Club Tortimer." 

"... On second thought, I don't wanna know. Well, have fun with your new boy-toy." 

Law grabbed the discarded pillow on his bed and threw it at the back of Penguin's head with all his strength, earning him a surprised yelp as Penguin bolted out the door of their shared dorm. Sighing, Law felt even more frustrated than he had before he talked to Penguin. Glancing back down as his DS screen, Law read the latest message from 'Lucy" on his chat log and couldn't help but crack the tiniest of smiles.

> _" Lets b friends (: " _

Well, what did Law really have to lose? He pulled out his stylus from it's slot and started tapping out a response.

> _" Okay. We'll be friends." _

Cursing the character limits in the chat, Law quickly started a new message. The only sounds heard being the stylus tapping away hastily at the touchscreen of his DS.

> _" So, what's with the name 'Lucy' anyway?" _


	2. Not obsessed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to remind my readers that updates will only be frequent because I'll be updating from a mobile device. Can't guarantee an update everyday or multiple times a day. Just a heads up.

Law eventually finds out that 'Lucy' is actually Luffy and that the name 'Lucy' was more of a typo than anything else. Odd, how someone could possibly mess up the name 'Luffy' and spell 'Lucy' instead but well, who was he to question an already very strange person? Luffy was certainly a character in his own way. He was always very enthusiastic about any little thing, especially if it was about Law's perfect town or anything having to do with Animal crossing. 

On his fourth day of talking to Luffy and hanging out in his own, Law learned that, thankfully, Luffy was _not_ a ten-year-old but a very bubbly nineteen-year-old only a year out of high school. To say that Law was just the tiniest bit relieved would be an understatement. He was beyond relief.

**Lucy:** _"So, why do u h8 that Flamingo so much?"_

Law couldn't help but snort quietly to himself as he tapped out a reply. He was currently sitting in his Uni's library, and he was _supposed_ to be studying for a huge test, but instead he was spending his study time chatting with Luffy. 

**Law:** _"I just do."_

Reading his own reply, Law hesitated before he started quickly tapping out an afterthought. 

**Law:** _"He fights with all my villagers 2."_

Internally cringing at having to resort to text talk, Law ripped his stare away from his DS screen and decided to try and at least _look_ like he was getting some work done instead of just playing around on his DS. He flipped the page of an Anatomy book he'd memorized frontwards and backwards, but his eyes still couldn't help immediately flying to his DS screen when he heard the quiet little bell chime notification of a reply from Luffy. 

**Lucy:** _"LMAOOO cant u kik him out?"_

Law tapped his pen softly against his scruffy chin before he was lazily scratching at his goatee. His mother hadn't been much of a fan of his new facial hair, including his sideburns but Law figured he was old enough not to have to worry about his mother telling him what to wear and what not to wear. Apparently, he was wrong. His mother still tried to get him to shave his beard and sideburns whenever he visited home during Holidays. 

**Law:** _"No. At least not right away."_

**Law:** _"I can report him for being a problematic Citizen"_

**Law:** _"But that's it I think"_

Luffy took awhile to reply this time, so Law actually got some studying done. The notification sound telling Law that another one of his Animal Crossing friends was online chimed but he simply ignored it. He only cared about Luffy's reply at the moment. When minutes eventually turned into an hour, Law packed up his things, closed his DS and walked back to his dormitory. He was greeted with the smell of greasy pizza when he walked through the door of his shared room, Law immediately wrinkled his nose upon seeing Penguin sprawled out on his bed with a slice of Pizza folded in half in his hand. 

"That's disgusting." Law commented as he placed his satchel down on his bed and removed his hoodie. 

"It's delicious." Penguin retorted with a grin, flashing the food between his teeth.

Law simply frowned, "Did another one of your girlfriends dump you?" 

Penguin was silent at first, rolling over onto his stomach and licking his fingers clean before wiping them on his shirt and going back to scrolling through Tumblr on his laptop. 

"Yeah, but I was gonna break it off anyway. She was getting way too attached." 

With a roll of his eyes, Law reached into Penguins closet and tossed a clean shirt at him. 

"You're a shit liar, Penguin, and if you're going to wallow in your own sorrows then at least do it in a shirt that's not covered in greasy pizza stains." 

Penguin sat up from his spot on the bed and stuffed the last of his pizza slice into his mouth, wiping his fingers on the front of his pants this time. He ripped his filthy shirt off his back, revealing a trim figure. Law's eyes darted away to his DS that was blinking with streetpass notifications. Penguin and Shachi were very well aware of his sexual orientation but that didn't mean Law liked to openly display his interest in the male body. At least, not when it came to his best friend. That would be like imagining your brother or sister naked or having sex. 

"What are you, my mom?" Penguin's voice was muffled as he slipped on the clean shirt Law had tossed him, and once he was properly clothed again, Law looked up to see the bags under his friends eyes. 

"Don't tell me you were crying." he teased with a knowing smirk. 

Penguin glared indignantly at him, "No, I just didn't get enough sleep last night." 

"Sure," Law drawled. "Well, if you need some private time alone to cry your broken heart out, just let me know." 

"Says the guy who's been obsessively staring at his DS screen every time it chimes for the past four days in a row. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were just _waiting_ for that kid's reply." 

Penguin was now smirking as he reclined on his bed, Law narrowed his eyes at his long-time friend and silently wished he could punch him. 

"Stop being ridiculous. He's just a friend." 

"Oh! So, he's a _friend_ now, huh?" 

"Penguin," Law warned in a deep tone. "I'm serious." 

"Hey, I didn't mean anything by it. I just think it's great that you're finally spreading out a wider net. New friends ain't a bad thing, buddy." 

With a sigh, Law plugged in his DS and checked his Animal Crossing for new notifications. There were five new messages from Luffy but Law promptly ignored them, turning his friend chat off and docking his DS. He was _not_ obsessed.


	3. Welcome to Meat Village

Law's first visit to Luffy's town was... interesting. For lack of a better word. Where Law prided himself in keeping his town free of Weeds and garbage, Luffy didn't seem to share the same views, if his unorganized town was anything to go by.

He had weeds growing just about everywhere, random bunches of flowers planted here and there, and absolutely no Ordinance in his town. A few of his shops were upgraded, but for the most part, Luffy obviously didn't pay much attention to his town in general.

**Law:** _"Your house is huge"_

**Law:** _"wtf??"_

Luffy's little avatar was dressed cutely, Law would admit. With his Strawhat, Hawaiian shirt, Sandles and sunglasses. It made Law just a little bit curious as to what Luffy really looked like in person. He would never let Luffy know that, of course. That would be creepy for sure.

**Lucy:** _"HAHAHAHA Idk"_

**Lucy:** _"I catch a lot of Beetles"_

Well, that made sense, Law figured. The Beetles on the island were worth a lot of bells. Luffy was obviously loaded, if his castle-like house was anything to go by.

**Lucy:** _"Wanna go 2 my island? :D"_

Law glanced over at the massive pile of books and assignments he had ontop of his desk and back at his DS screen. He'd been slacking with his studies since talking with Luffy, but it wasn't like he was in danger of failing any of his classes. He could afford a late assignment or two. Tapping out a quick reply to Luffy, Law couldn't help but smile to himself as he lay sprawled out on his small twin-sized bed.

**Law:** _"Sure, why not."_

**Lucy:** _"YAAY! U sure ur not bzy?"_

True, Law had also been invited out to a party with Penguin but if he was being honest, He'd much rather stay in and catch Beetles with Luffy instead. Besides, Parties were never really his scene anyway. No, he was fine with this.

**Law:** _"Nope, not busy at all."_

Law didn't feel the least bit guilty. He was sure Penguin wouldn't be lonely without him anyway. He'd drink too much again, hook up with the first hot girl he sees and not remember a thing come morning. Yup, he wouldn't be missed. He was perfectly content spending his Saturday night playing Animal Crossing with Luffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of stuff probably isn't accurate since I only recently got Animal Crossing New Leaf like two weeks ago soooo... go easy on me guys lmao  
> My Waifu Paula is trying to help me out with it since she knows more about it than I do.  
> Just sit back and enjoy the cute dumbs!


	4. Gaydar

"I think I'm gay,"

Law nearly dropped his scalding hot cup of Coffee on his dick when his roommate Penguin randomly decided to 'come out' to him. 

"I think... you're still drunk from that party."

Penguin groaned into his pillow before rolling over and glaring at Law.

"Bi-sexual then!" 

Law sat a little straighter in his desk chair, one long leg crossing over the other as he slowly placed his cup of coffee down on the desktop, lest he actually drop it and give himself third degree burns. 

"And how does this discovery make you feel?" he asked in a patronizing tone. 

Penguin immediately shot up from his bed and pulled Law into a headlock, giving his already messy midnight blue hair a rough tousle.

"Yeah, laugh it up, smart-ass. Not all of us can be lucky enough to be so sure if we like dicks or not." Penguin huffed once he'd released Law from his headlock.

Running a tattooed hand through his fluffy hair in vain, Law fixed his friend with a serious look.

"Alright, so, Who's the guy you've got the hots for then?"

Penguin was silent for a long moment, his hands fisting repeatedly by his side before he groaned loudly.

"I think-- I think I like Shachi..."

Law raised a skeptical eyebrow, his expression otherwise stony.

"You think, or you know?"

"I don't know!! That's the problem! I mean you think Shachi's cute, right?" Law simply nods his head. "Of course you do! He's fucking adorable! I kind of hung out with him at the party last weekend and I-- I think I tried to kiss him but I'm not sure. I mean-- Do I like him romantically or was I just really fucking plastered?"

"I think the better question would be, is it just your dick talking?" Law took a careful sip from his coffee mug and briefly checked his Animal Crossing for notifications from Luffy. There were no recent messages.

"I don't know... I don't think so. I mean, like, Shachi is really nice and fun to be around and he's easy to talk to. Maybe I could see myself being in a relationship with him."

Removing the reading glasses perched on his nose, Law fully turned in his desk chair to face his best friend.

"Are you saying this because you really mean it, or are you just saying it because you're lonely and horny?"

"Um... all three?" Penguin said with a sheepish grin. Law rolled his golden eyes and turned to face the bright screen of his laptop once more. "I'm serious! I meant what I said about seeing myself dating Shachi!"

"Then stop griping and moaning at me and go ask him out already, you dumbass. I have better things to do than give you love advice."

His roommate grinned before he plopped down on his bed again, "So, how are things going with that Luffy kid? It's been two weeks, you know."

Law shot a weak glare at his grinning friend but chose to ignore his question. It was true he and Luffy had been talking nearly everyday on Animal Crossing but it wasn't like it was a big deal. They mostly talked about Animal Crossing things. Not really anything personal.

"So, are you gonna ask for his facebook? His number maybe? How about Snapchat?"

"Penguin," Law warned. "Shut up. I'm trying to work on this essay."

Penguin put up his hands in a harmless gesture, "Alright, point taken. You don't want to talk about it. I just thought we could have a little 'girl talk'." he batted his lashes and Law flipped him the bird.

So what if he'd been talking to Luffy a lot more recently, and so what if Law was getting just a little curious about the teenager behind the sunny persona on Animal Crossing. That was Law's business and no one else. His curiousity would just have to go unsated.


	5. Character Limit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm going to try and balance the chapters with two plot-related chapters and then a fun little filler chapter.

**Law:** " My roommate came out 2 me"  
**Law:** " Well, he's bi-sexual"

It was coming up on a month since Law had started talking with Luffy on a daily basis and they had not exchanged a single word about their personal lives, which to Law was rather astounding. After getting to know Luffy a little more, Law learned the teen clearly had no brain-to-mouth filter. Luffy said whatever came to his mind and Law supposed he could appreciate his blunt, unashamed attitude. He was refreshing to talk to.

 **Lucy:** " 4 real?? Thats cool!"  
**Lucy:** " My big bro is gay 2"  
**Lucy:** " His bf is rlly cool (: "

Law released a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. This was probably the first time he'd ever willingly spoke about personal information about his life. Technically, it wasn't about himself but about something that happened to him. Still, he was glad Luffy didn't seem uncomfortable with it. Now, he even got to learn something new about the teen himself.

 **Law:** " Thats cool"

He scolded himself for not being more creative with conversation. He never was very good at small talk. But he had to remind himself that this was Luffy, and if there was one thing he'd learned about Luffy, the teen was ridiculously easy to talk to... as long as you could keep his attention long enough.

 **Lucy:** " So wat happnd?"

Law couldn't hold back the small laugh that bubbled up out of him but he quickly stifled it with a clearing of his throat. His roommate, Penguin, grinned at him from his spot on the floor.

"Just a _friend_ , huh?" Penguin sang.

Law felt heat creep up his neck, flushing his cheeks. He turned over on his side, facing the wall and taking his DS with him.

"...Shut up." 

Penguin's obnoxious laughter filled their room and Law groaned internally. Why did he have to be friends with this idiot again? Law contined to tell Luffy his roommate Penguin's glorious coming out story, silently cursing the damn character limits on the friend chat. 

He would probably never admit to secretly wishing he could talk to Luffy in person and save himself from the frustrations of the DS keyboard. But, he supposed the only upside to not having to talk to the teen in person was he was spared the embarrassment of his lack of social grace. Yes, perhaps it was better this way. Protected behind a small screen and a fickle internet connection.


	6. Pretty Thoughts

**Lucy:** " So ur a med student"  
 **Lucy:** " thats cool!"  
 **Lucy:** " my friend chopper is one 2 :D"  
 **Lucy:** " mayb u guys kno each other ? "

Law snorted quietly to himself as he read Luffy's recent messages. He was sitting in his Uni's library once again, taking advantage of the stronger wifi signals here. He tucked himself away in a back corner table, nearest the rows of public computers and furthest from prying eyes and listening ears. He got a few strange looks when he forgot his surroundings and allowed himself to chuckle softly at something Luffy said; like just now for instance. 

A girl he recognized from one of his classes smiled shyly at him, a very visible blush on her freckled cheeks. Law coughed softly, pretending to busy himself with the pile of books he was using as a sort of shield to hide his DS.

Things with Luffy had taken an interesting turn, since that one amusing conversation they had about Law's roommate suddenly coming out to him. That was almost three weeks ago now. Since then, they both let little things slip about themselves. Favorite Movies, Favorite Foods, Favorite Bands or music Genre, but today was the first time Luffy actually asked Law a personal question, like what he was majoring in for School. And Law told him, willingly.

**Law:** " I doubt it"  
 **Law:** " The odds that your friend"  
 **Law:** " might go 2 the same Uni"  
 **Law:** " with me are too slim"

Law slowly began packing up his things, preparing to go back to his dorm for another hard night of studying. But, he wasn't as bothered by this fact, knowing that Luffy would surely be there to entertain him and keep his frustration and boredom at bay. As he was about to shut his DS and leave the library (that was now a little too crowded for his taste) Law heard the chime telling him Luffy had finally replied.

**Lucy:** " U never kno!"  
 **Lucy:** " We could live in the same city"  
 **Lucy:** " wouldnt that b neat!?"

This time, Law did allow a little crooked grin to grace his serious features, softening his usual glare into something less fierce. _'Wouldn't it be neat, indeed.'_ he thought wistfully. But, of course, that was just wishful thinking. A pretty thought, but a dangerous one.

Upon leaving the Library, Law noticed the freckled girl from his class once more and since he was in a somewhat good mood, Law nodded his head and allowed his subtle smile to linger as he walked the short distance back to his dormitory.

"The same city, huh?" he mumbled to himself quietly as he braced the cool evening breeze. Spring was finally here. Which meant he'd probably be going home for spring break, again.   
It's not really like he minded going home to see his parents and sister, but even Law had to admit, that was a little boring. He wasn't much of a party-goer and he wasn't much of a fan of getting drunk either. But still, even Law needed a little excitement in his life every now and again. A break from the status quo. Something to get his mind off his virtual life in Animal Crossing and, of course, Luffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Law. Stop trying to run away from the gay thoughts!


	7. The backup plan

"Wait, wait, wait, let me make sure I heard you correctly." Penguin sat at the edge of his bed, running a hand roughly through his undercut and causing his silver-grey hair to stick up in all directions. "You, The King of the Buzzkills, are asking me about what plans I have for spring break?" 

Law fixed Penguin with an exasperated stare, the dark rings under his yellow eyes more evident than ever before. He had probably slept an hour, at the most, coming down to a grand total of five hours of sleep just this week alone. Professor Smoker was slowly killing him with the amount of Projects and assignments he had to do, and Law was at his limit. Which was falling asleep standing up while waiting for his Coffee at the on-campus coffee shop. Yep. He needed a break, and badly.

"Yes, _Eugene"_

_Penguin grimaced at Law's emphasis on his real name. The taller of the two allowed a smirk of victory to cross his tired features, his normally cold glare glittering with youthful mischief._

_"Oka-a-ay, well, I _was_ planning on going on a bit of road trip to the beach with Shachi." The shorter, silver-haired man replied sheepishly. The faintest of blushes tinting his pale cheeks. "We were going to meet up with some of the guys from my Soccer team and they're all bringing their girlfriends and plus ones."_

_"Forget it, nevermind." Law yawned._

_"What!? No, come on! It'll be fun! This is the first time you've ever come to ask me for Spring Break plans!"_

_Law rolled his eyes, "It is not."_

_"Yes, it is! You never want to go out anywhere! Or socialize! Face it, dude. You're a total loner and always have been! So, why the sudden change of heart?" Penguin followed Law around the circumference of their small kitchen table, until Law turned on his heel and fixed him with a deep frown. Penguin almost seemed dwarfed in comparison to Law's towering height._

_"It wasn't a sudden change of heart, I was just asking a fucking question. You gave me an answer. Conversation over." Law snapped irritably, but Penguin was not so easily scared away._

_"Come with Shachi and me on the Road trip! It'll be fun!" He said in a sing-song tone._

_"No. Absolutely not. I refuse to be the third wheel and the only single idiot at the beach." Law resolved with finality in his voice._

_"Dude, You won't be a third wheel! I swear! And Spring Break is heaven for singles, what are you talking about!? You're not gonna be the only single guy."_

_Law could tell that Penguin was on the verge of begging-- no, pleading him to go on this spring break road trip with them. He blinked his large Hazel eyes at him and Law cursed himself mentally. He was actually considering giving in._

_"I swear to every god and deity in this world, Penguin. If you and Shachi start making out in the car, I'm throwing myself out the window and hitch-hiking it back here." he warned._

_Penguin whooped loudly, "Alright! Yes! We are SO getting you laid this weekend! No excuses! You're going to be at least three shades tanner by the time we come back, bud. So, bring your tanning lotion."_

_Law softly sucked his teeth while eyeing his own arm, "I don't need that shit to get a tan. My complexion is natural."_

_"Yeah, but even you're starting to look a little pale there, bro. Nothing a little fun in the sun won't fix!" Penguin practically skipped away whistling, all Law was waiting for was for him to click his heels together._

_Finally, Law situated himself indian-style on his freshly made bed, nursing a cup of hot black tea instead of coffee this time. Penguin's earlier question echoed in the back of his mind, however. _'Why the sudden change of heart?'_ If Law were to be honest, he'd say because of Luffy. Even though he hated to admit it, the teen was becoming too large a character in his life as of late, and Law was not happy about it._

_It was ridiculous, honestly. He was getting way too involved with a nineteen-year-old kid he met on fucking _Animal Crossing_ for crying out loud. Surely, this was just his loneliness getting the better of him. It was true that he was a loner, he enjoyed his solitude and it bothered him to deal with troublesome people like Penguin, and now Luffy. The only reason he and Penguin were still friends was because the other was stubborn as all hell when he wanted to be and he insisted on sticking around despite Law's difficult nature. He hadn't been intimate with anyone since his nasty breakup with his High School flame, Eustass. That relationship was simply toxic for the both of them and not the healthiest. It was purely Carnal._

_But it was different with Luffy. Law actually enjoyed his company, found himself looking forward to their chats and their trips to the Island to catch Beetles and Sharks. And that was why Law needed to forget about the teen he'd become overly fond of this last month and a half, and why he'd suddenly decided to go somewhere for Spring Break and hopefully get back in touch with Reality. Enough was enough._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of filler-ish chapter but there's some plot in here too.  
> I'm looking forward to the next few chapters.


	8. Hot Damn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dumbs go on a trip!

Law was now regretting agreeing to come on this road trip.   
He'd called his parents the previous week and told them of his plan to go on a trip with Peguin and Shachi instead of using his break to go home and visit. And while his mother and sister were less than pleased, they wished him luck and fussed over him being careful, to which Law grumbled a few 'yeah yeah yeah's and 'alright's before he was free at last.

Now, he was wishing he'd gone back home to Flevance instead. He had half a mind to either try to strangle himself with his own seatbelt, or tuck and roll out of Penguin's moving car. Either one would be better than being forced to sit in the cramped backseat, his long legs bent uncomfortably and his form slightly hunched forward due to the low roof of Penguin's 87 Trans AM. (Law had tried to go in his own car, but Penguin shot down his suggestion immediately.)

So, there he was, sitting in the backseat of Penguin's car (that was even older than him, mind you) forced to watch him swap spit with his boyfriend everytime they stopped at a red light, which, thankfully, wasn't very often. He'd foresaken his DS in his backpack in the trunk of the car, which in hindsight was stupid of him because even if he was trying to avoid Luffy on Animal Crossing, He had other games he could play to distract himself from his two friends making out right in front of him. (He also had to resist the urge to check his town over the next three days.)

"Ahem," Law cleared his throat noisily. "The light is green."

Penguin stopped locking lips with Shachi and pulled away with a wet smack, making Law's face heat slightly as he glared out his window. 

"So, what hotel are we staying at again?" Shachi asked curiously as he licked his kiss-swollen lips. Law thanked the dark lord for not having to be the one to ask, lest he be thought of as embarrassed or flustered in any way shape or form by his friends.

Penguin beamed, "It's The Grandline Hotel. We should be there in another hour."

Law knew that hotel chain. They were known for having rather scenic rooms and eccentric service. It was also pricey as hell. Law already guessed Penguin probably couldn't afford seperate rooms, but luckily, he had enough of his own money saved up to get his own room. He was not going to sleep in the same room where Penguin and Shachi would no doubt be fucking each other's brains out over the weekend.

Besides, Law was very determined to try and hook up with someone this weekend as well. One Night Stands weren't really his thing, but this weekend, he told himself to try and loosen up and enjoy himself. And if he were being honest, it had been far too long since he got laid and sexually frustrated wasn't even the word for how pent up Law was.

He was going to forget about Luffy, forget about Animal Crossing, forget about everything stressful and frustrating and just try to have a good time. At least, that's what he told himself. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help wondering what Luffy may be up to and if he was wondering why Law hadn't been online the last week or so.

Yes, he knew how immature it was to ignore Luffy out of fear of getting too attached. Yes, he knew this would probably not permanently fix his problems and worries once Spring Break was over, but Law was desperate to just get away and not have to deal with shit for awhile. He needed space, he needed clarity, he needed... to hear Luffy's horrible beetle and bug puns. 

Shaking his thoughts of bubbly nineteen-year-olds away, Law huffed loudly as a painfully familiar song filtered through the speakers.

"Fuck my life." he groaned to himself as Penguin raised the volume as the Chorus of Uptown Funk started. As if on cue, Penguin and Shachi started dancing in their seats while shouting the lyrics.

"♪ I'm too hot! (Hot Damn) ♪"  
"♪Called a Police & a fireman ♪"  
"♪I'm too hot! (Hot Damn) ♪"  
"♪Make a Dragon wanna retire, Man ♪"

Law covered his ears and sunk as low as he could in his seat while frowning. And he only had another hour of this to go before he was home free. Until then, Law was stuck in the backseat with what was sure to be a bad leg cramp in the very near future.

"♪Uptown Funk you up, Uptown Funk you up♪"

"♪I said Uptown Funk you up, Uptown Funk you up ♪"

"♪Dance! Jump on it, If you sexy then you flaunt it ♪"

Penguin pointed at Law in the rear-view mirror and winked and Law simply flipped him off. Strangling himself with the seatbelt suddenly seemed so appealing. Somebody please shoot him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love this chapter for reasons~


	9. Life's a beach

Law hated the beach. There was hot sand, the air smelled heavily of sea-salt that tended to linger on you even after countless showers and baths, there were too many people, not to mention no short amount of half-naked bodies being shoved in your line of view no matter where you went.

It wasn't like Law was self-conscious about his looks. Far from it. He just wasn't very into the idea of putting himself on display for every lecherous stare to see. But here he was, walking down a hot sandy shore, shirtless and barefooted. He could feel the scalding sand between his toes, burning the pads of his feet. He also didn't like the heated stares he received from women and men alike. Despite telling himself he was here to let loose and have a good time, his inner loner was crying out for him to high tail it back to his hotel room.

Penguin had since ditched him, along with Shachi. And while Law didn't need Penguin or Shachi to hold his hand like some lost child, Law couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed. 

He eyed the mob of other college kids with disinterest. Some jackass of a DJ was blasting some shitty remix of M.I.A.'s Bad Girls, which was a shame because Law rather liked the original Audio. Half-naked girls in bikinis grinded and swayed their hips along with the seductive beats and Law received more than a few flirtatious smiles and kittenish invitations to join them but he curtly refused.

The hot sun beating down on his skin told him he'd definitely have a very prominent tan by the end of this trip. He cursed his genetics for blessing him with a skintone that was so easily tanned. Well, at least he'd have a reason not to go out much during the summer heat. He wondered what Luffy was up to. If he was on the island, catching Horned Atlas beetles or Rainbow stags. Chasing off the butterflies that congregate on the hibiscus bushes. Wondering why Law hasn't talked to him in--

"Law? Trafalgar Law?" a deep, gravelly voice called out to him.

The med-student stopped dead in his tracks, as that voice sent a small shiver down his spine. Though whether it was good or bad shiver, he couldn't be sure. Turning to see familiar flaming red hair, pale ivory skin and a piercing stare. Law mentally cursed for turning around.

"Eustass?"

The red-head flashed him a painfully familiar smirk that brought back bitter-sweet memories. "Wow," Eustass said with a low whistle. "You look... so different."

A slow, sultry beat now filled the air and the atmosphere almost seemed charged with an unspoken tension. Law wasn't sure how he felt running into his ex-flame from high school, and he sure as hell wasn't sure what to make of his comment.

"You've changed quite a bit yourself." Law drawled with a condescending smirk of his own. Figures they'd immediately fall back into their old game of Cat & Mouse upon meeting again. He noticed the way Eustass traced the tribal tattoos on his shoulders, chest and abdomen. He never was one for subtly.

"Ya think?" Eustass barked with a boisterous laugh.

His eyes lingered on Law's lithe form like swirling smoke. Law in turn secretly taking in Eustass' fit form. Eustass was a giant, reaching a height of seven feet. This made him much taller than Law himself. Something that had been one of the main factors of Law's initial attraction to the crass Red-head. Seeing a slightly more mature looking Eustass Kidd stirred that old pot of Carnal desire that Law hadn't felt since his Senior year of high school.

"So, you still not big on drinking?" Eustass asked, gesturing toward his near empty beer bottle. 

Law made a noncommittal sound, "Sometimes. If I'm in the mood." 

A wicked look crossed Eustass' expression, "How about joining me for a drink? For old time's sake?"

Law hesitated. As much as Eustass annoyed him, he knew the red-head too well. One drink would lead to three, and three to six, and six to ten. Then, if memory served correctly, Law would most definitely end up in the man's bed. It was inevitable.

But well, if Law absolutely _had_ to pick someone to hook up with on this trip, he'd rather go with an old flame whom he felt nothing for but knew the sex would be hot and totally worth it. This was what he set out to do, right? He never said he _wouldn't_ sleep with an ex if he ever came across one. Sure, it was probably an awful idea, but he was bored and now, more than a little horny. He'd count Eustass' sudden appearance as a small miracle. Now he wouldn't have to sleep with a complete stranger.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?"

Eustass beamed from ear to ear, instead of his usual condescending, conceited smirk. Law raised a suspicious brow but decided the odd gesture wasn't worth investigating. He just wanted to get laid and relieve some stress. 

His mind drifted back to Luffy briefly before he forced those thoughts away. No, he needed to leave any thoughts of Luffy behind along with his DS back in his hotel room. This weekend, there would be no thoughts of bright, sunny teenagers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, I did the thing I told myself I wouldn't do.
> 
> This is turning into a monster, lmao.  
> Is this even about Animal Crossing anymore? Idek.


	10. Smitten

Okay, so, Law had been regretfully correct about it being an awful idea to sleep with Eustass. In fact, the words 'big mistake' plagued the entirety of the next day, which was Saturday.

He didn't want to remember the details of his evening with Eustass, but it ended less than favorably. They drank together for awhile, talked about their lives a bit and sort of caught up with one another, but it went to shit when things started getting hot and heavy. Long story made incredibly short, Eustass came earlier than Law had expected, and just from a little making out and heavy petting. This resulted in a very drunk (and satisfied) Eustass immediately falling asleep after their (almost) romp and a very unhappy, sexually charged Law awkwardly walking back to his own hotel room with a painful boner. That was definitely not what he had been hoping for on this trip.

He spent the entire next day lounging on a beach chair, his eyes shaded by dark sunglasses, reading a trashy romance novel his little sister shoved on him last time he was home. He figured he was multitasking in a way. Getting some reading done, getting a tan, and hopefully successfully avoiding bumping into Eustass for the remainder of this fucking trip.

After his little fiasco with Eustass, Law was _very_ tempted to get on Animal Crossing and vent all his frustrations out to Luffy, who was sure to laugh at his poor expense but somehow manage to get Law's mind off the awful and embarrassing incident. He resisted, somehow, in the end. But it was harder than he thought. 

Now, he was content with wallowing in his own self-hatred and shame. He didn't think this weekend would possibly get any better. Not after last night. Law was just being bitter and cynical, he knew that. But he couldn't help but sort of sulk anyway. He had really hoped something would have changed on this trip, but life seemed fine with humiliating him instead. At least he didn't have to worry about catching a sexually transmitted disease, like those spring break horror stories you see on Dateline or something. 

Law didn't think he'd be getting to put his dick into anyone, let alone having a dick in him anytime soon. Even if he did have his fair pick of men and women practically throwing themselves at him. He had no interest in trying to get to know someone enough to sleep with them. It was too much trouble and work. Not worth it, just for a quick fuck.

"LUFFY!!"

It was like the fates and heavens were mocking him. Now, he thought he was hearing someone yell the name 'Luffy' from across the beach.

"Luffy, you idiot! Get back here with our frisbee!"

Okay, now he was just getting irritated. There was no possible way that it was the _same_ Luffy that Law knew. Although, Luffy wasn't a very common name. At least, not to Law anyway. He'd never met anyone named Luffy before in his life. Not until Animal Crossing, of course. So, what were the chances?

Law risked a glance up over the edge of his book, his eyes immediately catching on a busty ginger-haired girl in a bikini looking rather miffed, her long curls pulled back into a high ponytail that draped down her back. There was a long nosed man standing next to her, muscular and fit, wearing baggy olive colored swimming trunks and what looked like long dreads pulled back out of his eyes. 

"It's not my fault Zoro threw too hard!" a youthfully boyish voice close to Law's right cried. His head snapped toward it and his eyes going slightly wide at the sight before him.

His first initial thought was, the boy's smile. It was bright, blinding almost, wide and all teeth. The second thought that flitted through his mind was, Abs. Just, Abs. At first glance, the boy was scrawny and all gangly limbs, but those chiseled abs were hard to miss, as was the perfect caramel skin stretching across his skinny but toned body. 

The boy's eyes were wide, round and very dark and his hair matching that of a Raven. It was wind-swept, some of his fringe sticking to the light sheen of sweat building up on his forehead. That thin layer of sweat seemed to make his body glisten in the bright sunlight, and while the teen wasn't _handsome_ by any means, he was boyishly cute. Law would admit, he was just the tiniest bit smitten with the kid. Either that, or he was more sexually frustrated than he thought. 

"Idiot!" The red-head smacked the sunny-faced boy behind his head, earning an adorable pout from him. "He wouldn't have thrown it so far if you hadn't challenged him!"

Law watched the exchange with mild interest, thankfully hidden behind his sunglasses where none could see his blatant stares.

A small part of him desperately wanted to know if this cute raven was the _same_ Luffy he'd been talking to for two months, but another part of him was perfectly content watching the raven teen bounce around shirtless in nothing but red  & yellow swim trunks. 

Yes, this was fine too.


	11. Jealousy?

Alright, so Law let curiosity get the better of him. He absolutely could not leave sunday with the nagging feeling gnawing at his brain about the kid coincidentally named Luffy he saw on the beach with his friends. He had to know if it was _his_ Luffy or not.

So, after deeming his sunbath efficient enough, Law reluctantly left the raven-haired teen and his friends behind to return to the comfort of his cool hotel room, where he immediately got his laptop out and settled in at the small table in the room.

He felt a little bit like a creeper for what he was about to do, but he just _had_ to know. The curiosity was eating away at him. So, he logged onto facebook (not that he ever really used his.) and started a new people search. (Facebook. Top website to use for creeping since 2007)

He narrowed down his search by selecting certain filters before he typed in Luffy's first name in the search bar. He honestly wasn't surprised by the minimal results he got. After all, Luffy was a very uncommon name.Three results popped up, but the first one was the only one Law needed. The small thumbnail featured a familiar sunny-faced teen solo, cutely holding up a peace sign and sticking his tongue out while winking at the camera. Law clicked the thumbnail and opened the profile of a one Monkey D. Luffy, expanding the window and enlarging the profile picture. 

The picture was taken from above at an angle, there seemed to be colorful paint splattered on the teens face, only adding to the innocent cuteness of the boy himself. Oh, yeah. Law was smitten, alright. The boy had a certain mischievous look underneath that innocent look he was shooting the camera. Like he knew _exactly_ how cute he was, and he knew exactly how to utilize that cuteness to his own advantage.

Law scrolled through Luffy's surprisingly public profile, skimming through his about me and personal details. This Luffy was apparently the same age as his Luffy, he listed off several sports as his favorite activity, including Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling, Baseball, Mixed Martial Arts and some Track and Field. Law swallowed thickly. No wonder the boy was so fit.

Law gave into his curiosity and started flipping through some of Luffy's timeline photos. He regretted that decision almost immediately. The boy was simply too adorable for words. He had a bright smile in nearly every picture, except the rare few where he was pouting petulantly at the camera. 

Majority of his photos were photos he was tagged in by other friends, group photos he'd taken with his friends. (Law recognizing the Ginger girl and the long nosed man) But two photos caught his attention for all the wrong reasons, and Law felt something ugly twist in his gut when he saw a rather handsome man with freckles kissing this laughing Luffy's cheek in an older photo and another attractive blond man with a scar on his face kissing a pouting Luffy's opposite cheek in a newer photo.

He clicked the window closed after seeing that and for a moment, Law just sat there staring blankly at his screen. 

"I'm so fucked." He sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have some jealous Law being a creep for his (future) small boyfriend~


	12. First Meeting part.1

Law was definitely not a party kind of guy. He hated all the noise, the pull and push of drunken crowds, the thick, humid musk of too many sweaty bodies compressed together, and worst of all, the shitty music. Law was more of a smooth jazz or acoustic kind of guy, and the crappy rap song that was currently playing was starting to give him a migraine. He could barely hear himself think as he awkwardly maneuvered through the crowd of drunk college kids all jammed into a narrow hotel hallway.

Just where the hell was hotel management? Surely, hallway parties like these weren't allowed. Then again, he had been well aware of The Grand Line Hotel's reputation for being rather eccentric and more laid-back compared to other well-known hotel chains.

Law luckily found his friends in a less crowded part of their floor, Penguin had his cute red-head boyfriend pinned up against a wall, though they weren't making out (like Law had expected them to be), they were in a rather compromising position. When they finally took notice of Law's presence, they both beamed at him.

"Whoa! Look at you! All tan and shirtless and all kinds of sexy." Penguin smirked with a waggle of his eyebrows. Shachi giggled but agreed and Law rolled his eyes.

"Shut up. It's hot as hell in here." He grumbled. Unfortunately, his complaints were drowned out by a new, more upbeat song coming on.

♪I like it loud, yeah, I like it loud ♪

"So, where have you been, dude?" Penguin shouted over the bass.

Law shrugged as he had a drink shoved into his hand by Shachi who was still beaming. Law looked down at the colorful drink in his hand, a thin brow arching. He took an experimental sip and after realizing it wasn't awful, took a longer drink.

"I wanted you to meet some guys from my Soccer team, and some guys we met from a rival scool. They should be around here somewhere..." Penguin trailed off as he searched the crowd of tangled limbs and sweaty bodies. "Ah! There they are! Luffy! Zoro!"

Law choked mid drink and immediately went into a coughing fit upon hearing Luffy's name. He looked up to see a smug Penguin grinning down at him before Hazel eyes drifted back toward the direction he was looking in before. Golden eyes followed and slightly widened upon seeing the same cute raven-haired teen he'd seen on the beach earlier now sitting atop the very broad shoulders of a stern looking green-haired man.

He was smiling widely, a colorful drink similar to Law's in one hand as he was paraded through the crowd toward them. He was laughing loudly, dancing as best he could to the current song that was playing while sitting on someone's shoulders. Law, now not on the verge of choking to death, stared openly at the sunny teen making his way closer to him.

He was fucked. He was so fucked. There was no way this Luffy wasn't the same Luffy he'd been talking to on Animal Crossing. It was so painfully obvious. His avatar even slightly looked like the real Luffy, now that Law thought about it. He was even wearing a strawhat, for crying out fucking loud. He was so, so terribly fucked.


	13. First Meeting part.2

There was nowhere for Law to run. He was quite literally cornered as Luffy and the green-haired man closed the distance between them. Law felt his heart racing a mile a minute the closer Luffy got. That same sunny smile he'd seen only hours ago in facebook pictures now on full display, right in front of him and getting closer. Yellow eyes reluctantly snapped away, staring at anything other than the bright teen that demanded his attention.

"Hey! You're the guy we met earlier!" a boyish voice yelled over the loud music. Law swallowed dryly. "Whoa, who's your friend?" Luffy grinned. Law could practically feel the teens eyes roaming all over his body and it thrilled him slightly. He knew his tattoos attracted plenty of admirers, and while he wasn't exactly the athletic type, his body was in fairly good shape, if not a little on the lanky side.

"Ah, this guy? This is my roommate and best friend, Trafalgar Law." Penguin introduced, a knowing grin plastered on his stupid face. Law glared weakly at him. 

Luffy caught Law's attention once more when he made a small noise of surprise. The boy was soon hopping off the other man's shoulders and standing nearly toe to toe with Law. His large dark eyes almost glittering as he craned his neck up to meet Law's gaze. 

"Your name is Law, huh? I know someone else named Law too." the teen beamed and Law felt his heart flutter. 

He cleared his throat and feigned indifference, lest he come off as too eager. (Not to mention, the green-haired man was glaring daggers.) "It's a pretty common name." Law justified. 

He didn't want to jump the proverbial gun here if by some small chance, he _was_ wrong. But at this point, it was highly unlikely. He had just gotten the confirmation he needed, the smoking gun, that proved that this cute teen was indeed _his_ Luffy.


	14. First Meeting part 3.

Luffy ended up sticking to Law like glue the rest of the evening. A gesture that in normal circumstances, Law wouldn't have minded in the least, but since this wasn't any normal circumstance, Law was forced to play dumb with the cute Raven all night whenever he'd bring up anything remotely Animal Crossing related.

"You know, I thought I saw a Horned Elephant beetle down by the beach today." Luffy smiled knowingly, under the colorful strobe light somebody had set up in the hall, Luffy almost looked ethereal.

Law sipped casually on his third drink, pretending to be oblivious to Luffy's little game. 

"I've never heard of that species before." he fibbed with the smoothness of a goddamn con-man.

The night stretched on like this, with Luffy trying to get any kind of reaction from Law with his not-so-subtle Animal Crossing references. He even hummed some K.K. songs at one point and Law realized he was very much screwed if he didn't form some kind of excuse or subject change.

So, he used his final card and with alcohol loosening him up, he asked a question he never thought he would. Ever.

"Do you wanna dance?" 

Luffy's smile grew impossibly wider as he nodded and led Law toward a less crowded part of the hallway. Law couldn't stop the erratic beating of his heart at Luffy gripping his hand so tightly. Their palms were sweaty but Law didn't really seem to mind. 

He was secretly grateful that a slightly less upbeat song was playing as he meshed with the mess of tangled limbs, including Luffy's arms locking around his neck as they rocked their bodies closely together. Despite the heat of other bodies pressing against him as well, Law could only focus on Luffy's body heat mingling with his as their skin touched.

♪The feelin' of your skin locked in my head♪

♪Now if we're talkin' body  
You got a perfect one  
So, put it on me ♪

♪Love, give me love  
Anything you want I'll give it up ♪  
The rest of the night was a bit of a blur after that, if Law were honest. But he clearly recalled Luffy almost successfully kissing him and his green-haired friend (Zoro, he learned was his name later) herding Luffy away right after their dance with the excuse that their friends were looking for them. Law couldn't help but think the other man jealous. But, with no reason to stick around any longer, Law finished off one last drink before he returned to his hotel room alone. He vaguely recalled seeing Eustass during the party, but he couldn't be bothered to remember.

Penguin gave Law a disappointed look the next morning, but Law was too hungover to care as to why. In his opinion, the night with Luffy went extremely well, and he was able to keep his identity safe. But still, as he packed his bags to leave that sunday morning, he wondered if it was worth all the trouble? From what he could tell from last night's events, the attraction between Luffy and himself was clearly mutual. So, what was he afraid of? Why did he still feel the need to hide who he was when Luffy seemed eager to close the gap separating them? His hazy mind was in too much pain to try and figure it out. Instead, he looked forward to sleeping the next four hours away on the trip back to their school.

But of course, that was apparently too much to ask for. Penguin was dead set on calling him out on his shit, it seemed.

"I just wanna know why?" he had suddenly asked after an hour on the road. Law groaned quietly from the backseat, doing his best to get as comfortable as he could in the cramped space.

"Why, what?" he grumbled irritably. He had yanked the hood of his hoodie up and over his head, using the drawstrings to cacoon himself up in the dark fabric to block out the bright sunlight.

"Why you went and fucked up things with that cute kid last night! After everything I did just so you could finally meet, and this is how you repay me!" Penguin all but cried. Law could hear Shachi agreeing from the passenger seat.

"The fuck are you even talking about, Penguin? I never asked you to do shit for me." Law hissed. He wasn't usually one to cuss so much but he was feeling pretty shitty this morning and it was too early to be dealing with this.

"Oh, so, as your best friend it's suddenly a crime to only wish for your happiness?" 

"Oh god, you're starting to sound just like my mother." Law sighed. 

"Well, this is the last time I try and do anything nice for you!" was Penguin's final scolding, and Law was just glad it was over. Only... it wasn't. Penguin turned the volume on his stereo up when a Frank Ocean song came on and Law sunk lower into the back seat, until his knees touched the back of Shachi's seat. It was the sing-a-long that finally drew Law out of his hoodie cacoon to glare at both Shachi and Penguin.

"♪I've been thinkin' bout you (you know know know)♪"

"♪Do you think about me still? Or do you not think so far ahead? Cuz I been thinkin bout forever ♪"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Law, ya dumb.
> 
> Songs used for Law and Luffy's dance: Tove Lo - Talking Body
> 
> and of course, Penguin and Shachi are singing Frank Ocean's Thinking About You at the end.
> 
> This ends the little spring break arc, we're back to Animal Crossing cuteness in the next chapter!


	15. Recovery

Law spent the next week after spring break recovering from his awful two day hangover, while ignoring several desperate phone calls and texts from Eustass (when had they even exchanged numbers?) and avoiding Luffy on Animal Crossing until he was ready to actually face his problems. Law was perfectly content spending the last few days of his vacation in bed, binge watching episodes of White Collar.

When he did finally have the guts to play Animal Crossing, he wasn't surprised to find that of course, Luffy was online and already messaging him.

 **Lucy:** "Hey! Ur back! :D"  
**Lucy:** "wat happnd 2 u???"

Law sighed heavily as he got comfortable on his bed. He felt a little childish, for he was currently buried under a pile of pillows and blankets while typing out a reply to Luffy.

 **Law:** "Long story. Is your gate open?"

Law couldn't help but smile as Luffy cheerfully replied that his gate was always open, but soon he was filled with anxiety as he boarded the train to visit Luffy's town. He wasn't sure how to act around the boy now that he'd met Luffy in real life and nearly kissed the boy. He silently cursed himself for not taking the plunge and tasting those chapped lips just once.

Upon arriving to Luffy's Town, he was greeted normally, with Luffy taking out his butterfly net and smacking him with it. Then, he chased Luffy around for a bit while the teen bugged all his villagers. 

**Lucy:** "So guess wat happnd 2 me"  
**Lucy:** "last weekend?"

He swallowed dryly as he read Luffy's message and hesitantly tapped out a response. He wasn't sure what to expect from the teen and his heart was thumping so loudly in his chest he could hear it in his ears.

 **Law:** "What?"

 **Lucy:** "I met this amazing guy"  
**Lucy:** "danced with him and almost kissed"

Law was sure his breathing was probably labored as he read message after message. His heart beating so quickly he thought he might have a stroke. Just what was Luffy playing at? If he was teasing Law, it was absolute torture and he couldn't help but hate himself for not kissing the cute little idiot sooner.

 **Lucy:** "His name was Law 2"  
**Lucy:** "and I think I rlly like him"

That was the finishing blow for Law. He had to physically restrain himself from throwing his DS across the room and smacking his forehead against a wall repeatedly. The boy of his dreams just confessed to liking him and Law felt like the world's biggest idiot for trying to fool Luffy back at the hotel. Granted, he was the happiest idiot in the world but an idiot nonetheless. Now, the question was. What was he supposed to do now?


	16. Birthdays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Law. Ya lovesick idiot!

So, Law eventually broke. He confessed everything to Luffy, and was surprised to find that Luffy had done much of the same after meeting him at the hotel party. He also admitted to teasing Law a bit on purpose during the party but Law couldn't find it in himself to be cross with the boy. Luffy eventually revealed that he attended the local college in the next city over and Law couldn't help but laugh loudly when he read this, startling Penguin who was on the phone with Shachi.

**Luffy:** "So, today was my birthday :-D"

Law's eyebrows furrow upon learning this little detail.

**Law:** "Seriously? Why didn't you say anything?" (thankfully, they'd exchanged numbers and started texting now. Law was grateful for no character limits.)

**Luffy:** "I guess I 4got? Srry! :'("

Law sighed as he immediately started tapping out a reply. A fond smile on his face as he wrote back.

**Law:** "How old did you turn? 16?" 

He snorted, knowing Luffy would surely get upset over Law teasing about his baby face. His phone buzzed not even ten seconds later, causing Law's fond smile to widen.

**Luffy:** "I'm 20 u jerk!!

Law snorted out another laugh as he was about to start another reply when he stopped, an idea hitting him like the back of a baseball bat to the head. There was still two hours left before Luffy's birthday was officially over (12AM), and Law was more than sure he could drive to Luffy's school in half that time. The thought of seeing that sunny smile again causing his heart to palpitate. 

In a flash, he was bolting out of bed and snatching Penguin's car keys off the desk table.

"I'm taking your car." was all Law said as he shimmied into a pair of denim jeans and threw on a clean v-neck t-shirt with his signature black and yellow hoodie.

"What? Why?" Penguin asked.

"My car is in the shop."

"Where are you going this late anyway?" his roommate asked with a skeptic eyebrow arched.

"Don't worry about it. Be back later." Law was getting ready to walk out the door when Penguin called out, "Alright, but try to ignore the condoms in the front seat!"

Law shuddered as he made his way down the hall of his dormitory. He did not want to think about that last thing Penguin said. Not when he was on his way to go see Luffy at ten o freakin clock at night on a Sunday.

To Law's misfortune, he wasn't given much of a choice when he saw the stray condom and near empty bottle of lube sitting on the passengers seat when he got in the car. (not to mention that questionable stain on the backseats.) Law decided then and there, he was never riding in Penguin's car EVER again.

As he started the car, Law felt his phone buzz and nearly forgot he had yet to reply to Luffy. He pulled out the device from his jean pocket, cursing himself for wearing the tight ones, and read the latest text from Luffy. 

**Luffy:** Did u fall asleep???

He smiled down at his phone as he quickly tapped out a response. A giddy feeling overtaking him at the thought of surprising the teen. It was a bold move, but Law was a gambling man.

**Law:** No, I'm still here. Probably won't reply for awhile though. Driving.

And with that, Law shoved his phone back into his pocket and started the drive over to the next city. Excitement drumming through his veins at the thought of finally seeing Luffy again, this time sober. What would he think? Would he be happy? Shocked? Angry? There was just no way to no and both scared and excited Law in a way that made him feel alive. Luffy just had that affect on him.


	17. Surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More lovesick Law for y'all.  
> Enjoy.

Alright. So, maybe he could have planned this whole thing out a little better before he just up and left to drive to the next city in the middle of the night. Finding Luffy's college was the easy part. It was when Law was finally there, sitting in the half-empty student parking lot that he realized he'd basically gone there with a half-baked plan, if he even had a plan at all.

Glancing down at his phone, he decided to take a risk and call Luffy for the first time since exchanging phone numbers. His heart pounded noisily in his chest as he listened to the dial tone and then the familiar ring. It rang once, twice and then a boyish voice laced with traces of sleep answered and Law's heart nearly gave out at the sound.

"H'llo?" came Luffy's half-coherent greeting.

"Um, Hey... Were you asleep?" was Law's brilliant reply. He was far too anxious and tense to care how awkward he must have sounded, honestly.

There was a soft laugh and then an adorable yawn before Luffy answered, "Just taking a lil nap, but what's up?"

Law took a deep breath, "You said you lived on Campus, right?"

Silence, and then Luffy's curious "Ye-e-eah?" came next.

"Walk outside your dorm for a minute." Law instructed with a smirk as he finally got out of Penguin's car.

His eyes searched the many dormitory buildings as he heard rustling and various muffled noises on Luffy's end of the line. Law leaned against the hood of the car, still hot from the drive over. Golden eyes searching until they landed on a head of all too familiar raven hair as someone exited a building. He immediately pushed off the hood of the car and made his way toward a curious and bright eyed Luffy, standing outside bare-foot with a baggy red t-shirt and basketball shorts and the most adorable bed-head.

"Turn around." Law said as he stood only mere feet away from the teen. 

When the teen finally did turn, dark eyes landing on his form, the huge grin that grew on the boys face left Law absolutely breathless. He couldn't stop the small gentle smile that formed on his own face once Luffy recognized him.

"Law!" he laughed breathlessly, his cell phone still pressed to his ear.

"Happy Birthday, Luffy."

Nothing in the world could have possibly prepared him for Luffy practically jumping him and planting a hard, fierce kiss on his lips. Despite his surprise at the action, Luffy's kiss was everything Law imagined it to be. Burning hot, eager, passionate and tasting oddly of something sweet like candy and a mixture of something salty Law couldn't place. Luffy was a hurricane in human form, wild and untamed. But that was exactly what drew Law in.

When they finally parted, Luffy's grin was impossibly wide as he clug to Law's lanky frame possessively. 

"I got exactly what I wished for." Luffy giggled and Law simply pressed another kiss to his nose. 

Finally, Luffy was his. And Law wasn't planning on letting him go anytime soon. He flashed Luffy a mischievous smirk and Luffy seemed to have read his mind.

"Come on," Luffy jerked his head to the right. "I wanna show you something cool."

Law unwrapped the teen from his arms and allowed Luffy to grip his hand tightly in his as he was lead toward the unknown. Much like the night they first met. And Law let himself fall into the untamed ocean storm that was simply Luffy.

Luffy led him into the dormitory where he was guided through empty hallways, all the while Luffy giggled madly, acting as if they were small children sneaking about way past their bedtimes. He eventually led Law out onto a wide rooftop, where Luffy got comfortable on a ledge and led Law over to sit next to him. He kept a firm grip on Law's hand and smiled as he traced his thumb over the tattoos on his knuckles.

"I can't believe you're here," Luffy all but sighed, an almost dreamy look in his near black eyes. "Is this a dream?"

Law chuckled softly before he raised a hand to smooth down some of Luffy's bed head. "If it is a dream, then it's the best one I've ever had."

Luffy yawned, and Law pulled him closer until the boy was practically cradled in his lap. Law secretly gushed over the fact that Luffy seemed to fit perfectly in that spot. Curled into his chest, wrapped in his arms. 

"I've always--" another wide yawn. "--wanted to do this with you."

"Oh? and what's that?" Law asked in a slightly teasing tone.

"Sit on this very rooftop and stargaze..." Luffy trailed off and it was then that Law realized, he must have fallen asleep. 

Another fond smile crossed his face as he wrapped his hoodie around Luffy as best he could, resting his chin atop the boy's head as he closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the moment. For just a little while, everything in Law's life felt just perfect.

_♪Look at the Stars, look how they shine for you and everything you do♪_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I caved and wrote LawLu fluff instead. I'M SO WEAK! I JUST NEEDED THEM TO BE CUTE AND CUDDLY, OKAY. (Also, I blame listening to Coldplay while writing this chapter.)


	18. K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

Law quickly learned that Luffy was so much more than he bargains for. On one hand, Law thinks he really should have expected Luffy to be a little ball of energy right from the start, but nothing prepares him for how exhausting it was to spend nearly an entire night with the boy.

They quite literally slept on that rooftop all night, Law stirring when Luffy began to fuss against his body. The sun was peeking over the horizon, and Law cursed quietly, though apparently not quietly enough as he accidentally woke Luffy up.

"Law?" Luffy yawned widely, and Law had to quite literally refrain from taking the boy's face in his hands and just kissing him silly. All this cuteness couldn't possibly be healthy, Law concluded as a Doctor-in-training. "What's up?" Luffy asked while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Law sighed softly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you but it's--" he quickly glances at his phone clock and curses again. "It's five in the morning, I have class in two hours."

Luffy pouted at his words, "You're leaving?"

For a second, staring into Luffy's endless pools of brown that reflected the early morning sun turning the muddy color into a kaleidoscope of golds and translucent rusty reds, he was tempted to skip out on an entire day of classes just to stay wrapped up in Luffy's warmth. But he would not be wrangled in by adorable puppy dog eyes and Luffy's lips trailing soft kisses up his jawline.

"I--" Law started shakily as Luffy brushed past his sensitive earlobe with a hot breath ghosting over it, but he fisted his fingers into a tight ball and tried to compose himself. He cleared his throat weakly before trying to speak again, "I have to take my roommate's car back, and I have Finals coming up. I can't miss any lectures or classes... no matter how much I might want to stay longer." he sighed with a little wry smile.

Luffy made a whining noise in his throat before he stopped trailing kisses across Law's slightly stubble covered cheek. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment before Luffy eventually gave in, a perpetual pout now on his face as he stared down at the tarmac on the rooftop.

"Okay, I guess." he mumbled. "But can I at least get a kiss before you go?" 

Law smirked with a little shake of his head, "Was already planning on it."

He captured Luffy's chin between his thumb and index finger, tilting the younger man's head up to suit Law's height before he leaned down and kissed those soft yet chapped lips with as much passion as he could pour into a single kiss. It was innocent, pure but all kinds of exhilarating as Law felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, his heart beating in overdrive. When they finally pulled away, Luffy's eyelids drooped heavily, staring at Law from under dark lashes with a slightly glazed look in his eyes.

"Another one?" Luffy asked innocently while breaking out into wide grin.

Law sighed softly through his nose but honestly, he craved one more himself. "Alright, one more for the road."

One last kiss turned into two last kisses, and then three. Before Law knew it, the sun was now fully rising and his phone started buzzing violently in his pocket, startling the both of them. 

"Penguin?" Luffy laughed, crawling off of Law's lap.

"Unfortunately." Law frowned. "I really do need to get his car back, but I'll text you as soon as I'm back at my dorm."

Luffy seemed to appreciate that as he wrapped his wiry arms around Law's torso and hugged him tightly, "Okay. I'm gonna go back to bed until morning practice starts." the boy tiredly mumbled into his chest.

"Alright. I'm going now." Law said, Luffy reluctantly tearing his arms away from him and walking with him back to Penguin's car in the parking lot.

They shared one quick kiss before Law started the ignition and starting backing out of his parking spot slowly. 

"Luffy! You punk!" a voice cried out across the courtyard, catching both of their attention. "What were you doing coming down from the rooftop entrance!? You know it's off limits to students!" an older red-headed man approached the sheepish teen and Law shook his head with a small chuckle before he sped off down the main road back to Dressrosa.

By the time Law got back to his own campus, he was fifteen minutes _late_ to class instead of the other way around and his classmates (even Professor Ceasar) gaped at his slightly disheveled form walking into class and taking a seat in the back, opposed to his usual middle row seat. It was an interesting morning(luckily he managed to avoid Penguin by some miracle as he got ready for class in a haste) and he got no lack of curious or odd stares from his classmates, but Law was honestly on auto-pilot. His body going about his daily routine but his mind stuck helplessly wandering back to Luffy and the scent of his skin and hair. Yeah, Law was totally fucked. But he found he didn't really mind so much anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -sobs- I wrote more fluff. What am I even doing anymore!?


	19. Must be doing something right

"So, you got in really late last night, huh?" 

Law was finally cornered by his roommate in the late afternoon. He had been distracted texting Luffy while walking back to his dorm, body tired from sleeping outside on a rooftop all night, but despite his aches and soreness, his spirits were sky high. Unfortunately, it had given Penguin the perfect chance to trap and interrogate him.

Law felt heat creep up his neck as he realized what his roommate was implying.

"It's not like that," He grumbled, brushing past his roommate to get to their dorm. "And besides, I returned your car with a full tank of gas, didn't I?"

Penguin was practically giggling like an excited child in a candy store as he followed Law into their dorm, "So, how was it? I need details!"

Law sucked his teeth before flopping belly first on his bed, sheets and blankets still in the haphazard mess he left them in last night. 

"We didn't do anything, and even if we did, I wouldn't tell you jack shit."

"Bullcrap," Penguin snorted as he plopped down onto his own bed across from the med-student. "You've had this dopey look on your face all day, everybody on campus was talking about it. The Infamous Trafalgar Law was late to his first class and smiling!"

Law rolled his eyes and went right back to texting Luffy, choosing to ignore Penguin until the idiot calmed down. It wouldn't be so easy, however, as Penguin was determined to find out anything he could. Half an hour later, and Law was ready to yank the hair out of his head if Penguin didn't shut up and leave him alone. 

"We kissed, okay! Are you satisfied now?" Law exploded, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat.

Penguin didn't seem all that surprised, in fact he seemed rather pleased with himself, and luckily for Law, Penguin finally dropped the subject and left him alone. Finally.

"So, when are you going to see him again?"

Law sighed. Penguin had managed to leave him alone for one whole hour before he was probing him with more questions again.

"When my car is out of the shop, probably." Law answered distractedly. He was currently pulling overtime, trying to catch up on late projects and assignments he'd neglected to do because, well, Luffy. "But we'll probably skype or facetime until then."

"Sounds like it's serious." Penguin sang in a teasing tone. Law didn't delegate that with an answer. He simply kept typing away at his laptop, his reading glasses sliding down the bridge of his slender nose. 

"But in all seriousness, I'm glad." Penguin said, a sincere tone replacing the previous playful one. "You look happier, less grumpy. The kid is obviously having a positive affect on you."

Law usually hated when Penguin got all mature and philosophical on him. But in this case, he found that Penguin sounded honestly sincere and grateful for the sudden change in Law's life. And if he were honest, Law was grateful for this change in his life as well. 

It was the first time he'd ever felt so helplessly attracted to someone, and not just a physical attraction. There was just something about Luffy, Law would probably never be able to place. He brought out a side of Law he never thought himself capable of having. It was a little terrifying, knowing how much power Luffy had over him but Law was a risk taker, and this whirlwind relationship with Luffy was something he wanted to see through to the end. 

"It's strange, now that I think about it." Law murmured, his fingers stilling over the keyboard but his eyes staying glued to the bright screen. 

"What is?" Penguin asked while looking up at him curiously from his phone. 

"I never thought I could feel this happy." he openly admitted.

Penguin hummed, "Must be doing something right, then."

They fell back into a companionable silence as Law resumed typing and Penguin continued texting. For once in Law's life, he was content with everything. Not a single dark cloud in his perpetually sunny sky.


End file.
